Testing the Limits
by My Private Library
Summary: Two months after Drago's attack on Berk Hiccup is still adjusting to his position as chief but to complicate matters Hiccup finds a young warrior, Rae, who charms Eret and also lifts the veil of mystery from who Drago is, speaking from her own experiences. They must learn to trust one another to protect Berk and their lives from Drago once again, but can they do it? (OC orientated)
1. Chapter 1

**This would be my first official fiction, I should say. There is an abundance of HTTYD2 spoilers here, so be warned. This first chapter is meant to introduce you to my OC, so please bear with me; the Berkians will come into the picture in chapter 3. Until then, I hope you enjoy! **

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The wind was strong so far up in the sky, practically burning her skin, forcing her to try to hide behind her dragon's narrow head, burying her face into the soft feathers of her neck. They had been flying for too long in search of a safe and isolated area to make camp, but the vast ocean offered no relief for the pair. At least the sun was out and the sky was clear, providing some warmth as they traveled north; hot beams of light glittering the water's surface, ever changing with the tide. The ocean was restless, only permitting a disfigured reflection of the dragon's stomach whenever she brought herself to look down.

She could tell that the journey was taking its toll on her dragon whose stamina was incredible, but she was not invincible, even though the past had proven otherwise. There was no way to predict the likeliness of locating a rock, yet alone an island before sunset, which was several hours away, leaving them stranded in the middle of one of nature's greatest forces. It was a wild guess deciding to leave their previous camp so late in the season, but fishing was more bountiful to the north, so it was mandatory to push forward if they wished to survive. The last few islands provided enough to sustain them for a decent amount of time, but not nearly enough to prepare them for the harsh winter that was quickly bearing over them.

Letting out a deep sigh, she decided to close her eyes and rest; the dragon returning her exhausted sigh with one of her own, though it sounded more like a low pitched groan. They continued to glide through the air, probably not more than one hundred feet above the water; the dragon's body breaking the current of the winds. White scales reflected the sun's rays and equally white feathers fluttered in the wind while hints of gold took the opportunity to shine in the same way as a beautiful piece of jewelry does in the light of day. It was a sight to behold, such a graceful yet powerful dragon and its equally so rider.

Her name was Rae. Or in full terms, Rachel Elizabeth Gallagher. Born and raised until the age of six in the small northern village of Sternwright, Sweden, then everything she ever knew shattered before her eyes and she has considered herself a nomad ever since. She seldom thought about it with all the pressing matters she had going on, but she never could erase the memory completely. Her skin was pale, common for lands of cold temperatures that begged people to stay indoors and her azure veins revealed themselves to the elements. Her arms were covered with scars from battles she remembered all too clearly while vibrant bruises decorated the rest of her aching body. As much as she tried to hide from her past, there was no way she could escape the story it wrote on her skin.

* * *

Rae awoke to the dragon's soft crooning, feeling groggy and stiff, stretching her cramped limbs in what little space that was available. She hadn't even noticed that the night had fallen and that the stars were twinkling in the sky or how the moon changed the tides below. Guiltily she scratched her dragon's neck, "What is it, Aurora?" she questioned, blinking rapidly, her eyes still unadjusted to recent darkness.

Aurora turned her head to look at her rider, the moon reflecting in her large, excited eyes. No words were needed to explain any further. They happened upon an island, or rather, a very tall rock from which tall trees inexplicably grew; there was no reason to question it at such late hour, their minds consumed by thoughts of slumber and rest. Rae smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around the dragon's thick neck, thanking her quietly for staying strong throughout their travel.

For the first time in days Rae had to hold on as Aurora's wings flapped vigorously, flying vertically up the side of the rock. Her four large wings worked in a mysterious way, sometimes they operated opposite while other times they were cohesive, but she did struggled some days, those days when her muscles felt weak and often trembled. It wasn't natural for a dragon to possess feathers like she did, and it was also rare to have four wings unless the breed called for it, but Rae concluded that it was most likely the result a mutation, and if it was not for her, Aurora would have never learned how to fly after being abandoned by her mother or caretaker, for Rae did not know which. Nevertheless the two were basically sisters, growing closer over the course of their lives; so close, in fact, that they could communicate to each other with such ease that they could be considered of the same species.

It was a short flight in reality, but it felt like an hour with all of the excitement and relief they felt. The landing was clumsy, her legs wobbly after a day of flying. Rae quickly dismounted and lay on the cold grass, fully appreciating the hardness of land underneath her while Aurora looked around for a moment, scanning the area for a comfortable spot to bed down, finding one at the edge of the rock on the opposite side in a small clearing. She trotted over and after stretching her long, muscular legs she warmed herself a place to sleep with a bit of fire, scorching the green grass to a black smolder. With a loud sigh she fell asleep in only a few seconds while Rae was still lying on the ground, staring up at the starry sky.

There was something twisting in her gut. A weird feeling that told her she shouldn't be here, trying to warn her of an unforeseen threat, but she brushed it off blaming it on an empty stomach. That could wait until morning. She sat herself up, taking a moment to observe the water illuminated by the full moon before she stood. Stumbling for the first few steps Rae slowly made her way over to Aurora who drowsily pouted as she climbed over her to grab her elk fur blanket from one of the large satchels attached to the saddle. They were so tired they both forgot to remove it, but it was too late for that now. Rae wrapped herself tediously in the fur and lay down outside of Aurora's scorched circle, trying to gain some warmth from it, but not too much that she would burn herself. They both quickly drifted off into a deep sleep, too exhausted to think of anything but.

* * *

Opening her eyes the following morning she noticed a thin layer of frost covering the grass. She sat upright with her hands supporting her from behind and saw that Aurora was gone. She must have covered her during the night because she sat in the center of a unfrosted patch of grass and the blanket wasn't damp. It was a strange place, this island rock combination; there was no way to describe such a beautiful piece of land, and there was really no need to. Rae looked around, now sitting up properly, still recuperating from yesterday's flight.

The trees were taller than anything she had ever seen, her arms could barely fit around half of the trunk, and their leaves all beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow, an occasional leaf drifting slowly to the ground, mesmerizingly. The bark was a pale brown, speckled with various other shades of dark colors and sharp edges of where branches once hung. It was like a dream. She stood up to get a better view of their camp, but froze after she saw magnitude of what they had found.

As far as she could see there were island rocks full of the same trees, the sun shining through the branches and the leaves in such a way that it called to her, beckoning her to fly further, to get as close as she could before the opportunity disappeared. It seemed as though the trees reached to the sky and into the clouds, a light fog in between each varying landmark, stretching up half the length of the trunks, making as though one could walk right into it and be hidden from the world. The idea was oddly appealing no matter how ridiculous it truly was, but it offered a hope for an escape.

An escape.

The word shook her core. She was not trying to escape from anything. She was searching for something, but what that something was had been lost during the journey. Before her mind could ponder the subject any longer Aurora landed softly behind her, pressing her beak between Rae's shoulder blades.

"You're such a pain," Rae teased, turning around and lightly shoving Aurora's head away. It wasn't very useful as she brought it back around and pushed into Rae's chest, causing her to grunt under the weight. She didn't fight it though, returning the affection by rubbing behind the dragon's ears, making her croon in pleasure as she closed her eyes and relaxed her neck into Rae's arms.

After about a minute Aurora backed away and cocked her head with a look that obviously said 'food?' Rae had assumed that she had already gone to catch herself some fish before she awoke, but apparently not.

"Alright. Why don't we catch ourselves some breakfast?" She patted Aurora's nose, walking around her to remove the saddle to allow increased maneuverability while fishing. Rae swiftly unhinged and tossed aside the leather satchels hanging off of Aurora's flank. They were filled with cooking materials, furs, weapons, and any tools she might potentially need. Next she unbuckled the girth and unbuckled the straps around her chest that kept the saddle in place. Aurora never like wearing saddles, but it was ideal when traveling long distances and as soon as it came off she trotted away and scratched herself against the nearest tree, regretting having kept it on all night.

Rae removed her belt from the larger of the two satchels and secured it around her waist, throwing the other strap over her head to guarantee it wouldn't slide down. It was made of yak skin, a gift from a friend she had met during her travels. There was an intricate design of roses and vines woven together in harmony; fading paint continued to flake off the engravings, adding to its unique character.

She looked around for her sword, finding it in the clearing where they had slept; it must have fallen off the saddle in the night. Her sword was something special. It was custom made by an elderly blacksmith in London; modeled after the Egyptian's Khopesh, only with a slightly modern upgrade and a larger hook at the tip. Its handle was crafted from the finest leathers in the northern hemisphere; gold linings in the etchings with flower petals painted in gold and skillfully glued to it. The man never told her what metal it was crafted from, but it held strong, rarely chipping and it had yet to lose a battle to that day. Picking it up and placing it into its complex sleeve she buckled it in, looking in Aurora's direction, "Ready yet?" she joked, putting her hands on her hips as if she had been waiting for an hour. The dragon snorted at her comment and ran over to where she was standing.

As soon as Rae grabbed the clump of feathers on Aurora's shoulder to mount her, she began to take off, leaving Rae only to curse under her breath as she lifted herself onto the beast's back. She anchored her feet between Aurora's wings to ensure she wouldn't fall off while her hands held onto other misplaced clumps of feathers along her neck.

They flew off into the direction of the open ocean, diving down the side of the rock at full speed, Aurora spreading her wings at the last moment to avoid colliding into the water. Leaning to the left they made a hard turn, the tips of her wings touching the surface, causing them to wobble slightly before they straightened out, flying so close to the water Rae could feel the cold spray of the waves on her skin. The feeling had always excited her, making her heart race as if she was doing something impossible. She let her hands fall to her side as she lay her back against Aurora's, allowing her body to go limp and trusting Aurora to keep her from harm.

Aurora noticed her rider was sidetracked, quickly rocking to one side to bring her back to attention. Rae laughed once again, getting situated before having the dragon fly higher in order to tackle the task of exploring the waters between the island rocks for fish. They swerved in and out of thin and wide crevices between the overbearing rocks, scanning the calm water below for signs of an easy catch. Roots creeped out of cracks in the rock face eroding the area to reveal layers of sediment ranging from a dark gray to a pale brown. It was as if a young child had designed these rocks, drawing anything but a straight line, resulting in uneven faces and overhangs that appeared to have melted over the rocks.

"Aurora!" Rae shouted eagerly, pulling back on the feathers causing her to come to a complete stop, pushing her legs against the wall to help her turn around in the narrow passage. The dragon looked back at her, startled by the sudden stop. She pointed towards an overhang between two rocks that appeared to be melting together to make a miniscule bridge; Rae claimed she saw what might have been cod, one of Aurora's favorite snacks. For more speed they flew upwards and landed on the edge of an island rock across from their target, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

It was an impatient five minutes, but Aurora saw several fish through the fog come close to the surface and she leaped down so suddenly that Rae almost fell backwards. Their stomachs were empty and all either of them could think about was a nice, big fish to eat.

As they approached the overhang Aurora brought her legs forward, her claws ready to snatch a fish, or possibly four. It was a tight fit, having to close her wings to fit and almost taking Rae's head off in the process. They had successfully caught one fish, and it was a cod, just as Rae suspected. She praised Aurora repeatedly, giving her blessing for the dragon to feast on the first fish. They planned to repeat this process until their bellies were no longer growling.

It was around lunchtime when they arrived back at their camp, three decent cod in hand. Content, Aurora felt it was a good time for a midday nap and she searched for yet another spot to warm up for herself, unwilling to return to her previous resting place. It was rather difficult for her to maneuver through the trees, sometimes squeezing through gaps so tight that her scales ripped the bark off the trunks, but she didn't have the energy to fly around to access more reasonable route to her destination. It didn't help any that the landscape was uneven, like a smaller scale of rolling meadows only with trees of seemingly divine origin. There were few rocks to trip over; most stumbles were at the hands of the overgrown roots that chose to grow upwards in defiance of gravity.

"Hey!" Rae called after her. "Before you sleep why don't you get me a fire going?" She scanned the ground in search of fuel for the fire, unable to remove the best branches from the tall trees. After a moment of deliberation Aurora decided to help her out, lighting the small pile of sticks she quickly gathered. Rae patted her flank in a thankful manner as Aurora made her way back to her spot between two younger trees, wrapping her long body around the trunks as if she wanted create a figure eight design.

It took only a few minutes to get a good fire going for her to cook the fish. Sitting down she put her oak cutting board in her lap, pulling the fish onto it and cut it into smaller pieces with her dagger, another trinket her services earned, in order for it to cook faster. Once she set her food into the iron pan she added several spices, her most famous ingredient being garlic. Rae was left pacing beside the fire trying to preoccupy herself while the fish cooked, impatiently watching as the oils seeped from the meat, spurting blistering hot liquid out of the pan. As soon as it was finished she put the fish into her bowl, not caring for a utensil or waiting for it to cool, and it melted in her mouth and she moaned of delight, praising herself for being such a wonderful chef.

She only ate half of the fish, tossing the remains over to Aurora who took them without complaints or even a thank you. Something still wasn't right in her stomach. That feeling she had in the morning hadn't subsided with a large meal. This wasn't normal for her. She never felt paranoid or threatened by anything or anyone when she traveled by her own free will.

"You're just tired, Rae," she mumbled to herself while rising to her feet. It wasn't convincing, but she held onto the excuse. The idea comforted her; it made her feel safe.

* * *

Rae gazed into her reflection in the small broken mirror she held in her hand, attempting to brush her gnarled hair. She had found a discreet place to bathe, the first she had in several days. They located an oddly shaped island rock further into the scattered forest, resting on what looked like a hazard stack of boulders of various sizes, coming together at the top forming a bowl of sorts. The terrain was rough, containing more rocks and hills than the others, but towards one of the curves of the island, enough rainwater gathered to make a small pond that even contained several amphibious creatures. Aurora heated the water up for her, knowing that Rae didn't consider temperature important when she was focused on cleaning up.

Her hair was a deep brown, soft curls falling over her shoulders and back as she continued to brush it patiently. It relaxed her to slowly comb her fingers through it, staring into the fire, thinking about her life and her choices, her past loves and her enemies. In all her seventeen years of life, she experienced more joy and pain than most women do in a lifetime. It wasn't something she was proud to admit, but it was true nonetheless. The same went for Aurora whose past she had yet to figure out, but their traumas and accomplishments bonded them, and they didn't need to understand the causes of each other's pain, only an acknowledgement of that it was present.

She wore her hair up most of the time to prevent it from becoming increasingly unmanageable. Tying it into place with an old, ratty red ribbon she had since she was a child, she complained to Aurora who was pecking at the end of her hair affectionately. Rae checked the mirror to confirm she tied it up correctly, blowing a stubborn strand of curly hair out of her eyes. Her face was round, her cheeks full, lips chapped but equally full, and her face lightly freckled. There was a noticeable scar across her right eye, starting from her temple curving down the side of her nose, but somehow she felt it made her more attractive, allowing her to gain confidence in herself.

That was another thought floating in her mind: her appearance. She was never comfortable in the large and heavy gowns society deemed necessary for women to wear. In her opinion the dresses hid beauty instead of accentuating it, and most women she met were ashamed of their bodies. So instead she learned to create clothes appealing to her from their fabrics, taking pride in her curved figure and expressing herself. Her black pants were slim fitting, hugging her legs and bottom, paying respect to her hourglass figure; her legs long and fit, toned from years of manual labor including constructing lodges and hiking miles to reach her hidden dragons. The old maroon shirt she was wearing currently was a loose fitting vest, buttoning in the front; the back was slightly longer than the front due to her lack of experience when she created it, thus her stomach peaked out from under it from time to time. It made her feel free, wearing whatever she pleased, adorning it however she decided, but it didn't stop people from staring and speaking of disapproval.

"Don't let any man define who you are, darling." Her father's last words to her were words to live by, influencing every decision she made. He had fallen in love with her mother at first sight, but she was traditional, allowing her father to pick a husband who was suitable for her. Rae stayed up late into the night listening to the story repeatedly, finding new reasons to be excited each time he recited it to her. He had begged her father for her hand in marriage for years until he finally accepted that the young blacksmith was worthy of his daughter, but she never felt so. Rae's mother was depressed as long as she knew her, never fully understanding why until later, realizing that her father's love and devotion was not enough to make her happy. Rae didn't want that. She longed for a passionate man who could put up with a woman as crazy as she.

Aurora put her head on Rae's shoulder after she let out a long sigh. She could tell her rider was lonely for a human companion, understanding fully because she, too, missed her dragon friends back on the mainland. Rae kissed her cheek, scratching her behind the ear. She had her priorities straight so far, caring for those she was responsible for and keeping them from harm. It was a costly duty, but she regretted nothing except the lives she took performing it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a gentle warning that this chapter contains vivid depictions of violence and torture, so if you have a uneasy stomach, I may recommend that you ignore this chapter for your own sake. Other than that, I hope this intrigues and/or interests the rest of you!  
**

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_There were four walls surrounding her in the unit in which she was held. The gray walls were made of stone; perhaps she was in a cave. They were cold to her touch, slightly moist like she was underground, but the floor was dirt, covered in rotting food no one had eaten. A small candle occupied the corner of the room, resting on top of a broken table; the only other furniture in the room was a wooden bed that pulled off the wall, suspended by thick chains. Water dripped from a crack in the ceiling, falling into a small puddle, absorbing into the dirt leaving thick mud behind._

_She didn't know how long she had been there, only that she didn't want to be. The events of the last few days had been a complete blur with nothing going according to plan. Weeks ago she was counting the days until she had enough money to embark on another adventure; now she had nothing._

_There was a distant sound of clanging chains beyond her unit, haunting her while she slept, or at least while she tried to. The thought of someone else being near, yet out of sight, troubled her, leaving her feeling vulnerable in the darkness to whatever nightmarish villain had abducted her. Her wrists were purple and bruised, the way oil reflected light in water, and slightly bloody from being tightly restrained. The back of her right shin throbbed with pain, the result of several beatings done to discourage her from standing up. She rubbed a gash on her temple in a hopeless attempt to bond her skin together again. Fresh blood ran down her fingers from the wound, leaving her either to wipe it off on the wall or her clothes, which were already decently stained. _

_Rae was only eleven at the time of her abduction, but she was an orphan, leaving no one behind to notice she was missing. She had been working at a trading post at a small port, catching incoming sailors and seducing them with fresh food and offers to clean and sharpen their weapons. Business was not profitable, nor was it safe for a girl her age, but money bought fish, and that's all she needed._

_Several or more days earlier a large man at least two feet taller than she had arrived from a distant place, his ship different than any she had ever seen before. Holes decorated the sides of the ship, as if something had been firing at it with horrific ferocity. He was dressed in all black, multiple scars covering his distorted and cruel face and he walked with a severe limp on a leg that had been injured recently. His black hair was completely braided, reaching past his shoulder, and his beard was braided in the same fashion adding another odd characteristic to his intimidating figure, like a lion's mane, only this was not one to be proud of. The last thing she remembered from that fateful afternoon was the man approaching her full of disgust and trying to get her services for free._

_"Now little girl," he said shaking his finger at her in warning, "do what I ask and we won't have a problem here." He set his weapons on her table, taking a potato from her bowl, tossing it into the air smugly as he leaned against the post next to her setup._

_Rae pushed the weapons back to him, "you didn't ask me to do anything," she corrected, staring him in the eyes under his raised eyebrows. He smiled at her out of the corner of his mouth, giving her a devious look, but she didn't back down._

_Now she was here._

_A loud knock sounded from the ceiling, followed by clanging keys and a hand fumbling with the lock. Rae stayed put, not trusting whoever it was. "Come up," the man commanded with his deep voice, opening the iron door, waiting for her to exit. The door was on the ceiling, drilled into the rock so she couldn't escape or dislodge it and the bars were wide and tightly welded together so her arm couldn't reach out and possibly break the lock. Rust coated the bars and flakes of metal were peeling off, making it easy to cut oneself on the rigid surface._

_Slowly she rose from the bed, walking over to the door; she didn't see the man yet. She made a jump for the edge of the door, her hands grabbing onto it and her fingers slid between the bars. She could feel the metal cutting into her soft hands as she Pulled herself up quickly with what little strength she had, standing up immediately to face her captor. Unfortunately she learned she could never physically overpower him, seeing that one of his hands had the strength to crush her skull, but maybe if she had a weapon she might stand a chance, but she didn't try._

_He told her to follow him and they began walking down the dark and dingy stone corridor; Rae keeping her distance, glancing at the occasional torches that lit the hallway. It led to a large opening in the rocks whose ceiling rose to approximately thirty feet and the floor was circular, likely forty feet in diameter. Weapons from axes to swords hung up on the wall, suspended by hooks, nails, and chains, but she didn't dare grab one. The final thing she noticed were the two large chains falling from the ceiling and the two attached to the floor beneath them._

_He signaled her to walk to the chains and she did so confidently, holding on to the fact that he could not break her. Using only his right arm he cuffed each of her limbs in the heavy chains, her arms rising above her head. She knew what this was. It was torture. But the question was what for? She had never met the man before and he had no legitimate reason to hurt her to such an extent.  
_

_The man put his hand on the small of her back, gesturing with his head to the wall of weapons, asking what she'd like to begin with. No emotion crossed her face as she stared at him blankly, daring him to do his worst. He smiled his evil smile, his dark rimmed eyes widening before he went to grab something from the wall behind her. There was no warning or anything said until he struck her across the back with a whip. Her eyes almost ejected from their sockets in shock and pain as she clenched her jaw tight and constricted all of the muscles she could in her body, gasping after the first long seconds of pain passed. She was breathing heavily and she could feel the sweat running down her forehead, but none of the drops offered her a cold enough relief to wake her from this gruesome dream._

_She heard him laugh behind her. A pathetic laugh it was, making it apparent he never experienced joy, only sorrow. Before she could wonder any further he struck her again, this time tearing the fabric of her shirt. The blood was dripping down her back, unpleasantly warm falling slowly down her skin and she constricted once again, only allowing a whine escape her breath as she tried not to scream. The man was mad, trying to get pleasure out of hurting someone else; it was sickening._

_After six more strikes the room was spinning; her vision was blurry and the color of the room appearing more red as time passed, tears streaming down her face, neither from pain nor sadness. The skin on her back felt numb from the whip, which now seemed to shoot shocks of pain through the rest of her body, but still she refused to scream and give him the satisfaction. She'd rather die._

_The man was growing increasingly frustrated, striding angrily in front of her, pulling her hair back violently to lift her hanging head which she was too exhausted to hold up. She stared back at him once again and neither of them said a word. A moment passed by and his devious grin came back and he bent down to release her chained feet and then her hands. She collapsed on the cold ground, unable to stand, scraping her knees on the stones as she fell, her blood dripping on the floor._

_He proceeded to grab her ankles and drag her down the corridor back to her holding cell, leaving a smeared trail of blood behind him as she lay lifeless on her back. She didn't fight. She couldn't fight. He continued dragging her until he lead her limp body over the door, dropping her in head first; the iron bars putting a gash in her cheek, a small piece of rusted metal protruding from the wound. She remained silent._

_"I have big plans for you, child" he told her, closing and locking the door. "I'll be back soon." She listened as his footsteps slowly faded away, but she stayed lying on the ground for the rest of the day, or the night since she had no inclination as to what time it was._

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**Fear not, but Hiccup will be crashing his way into this story next chapter *foreshadows*  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd just like to take a moment and point out that this story is not focused solely on Hiccup, but it's rather about all the main characters, and he just so happens to be one, so there will be plenty of development for him in the plot in the near future.**

* * *

Rae must have been in a deep sleep for not waking up with Aurora who was generally loud during her morning stretches. She was lying on her back on the ground wrapped in her blanket with her eyes closed; just thinking about the day. They could go fishing once more if they were too impatient to wait until sundown, or they could explore the forest in search for yet another campsite. After her bath the other day Rae decided to make camp in a more secluded area that was sheltered from the strong winds of the ocean. These thoughts were spinning in her mind until she felt a shadow come over her. Rae's breathing stopped, resuming once she determined that it was safe to do so. It was a person; she could hear them breathing and their clumsy steps. Whoever it was was leaning over her, moving his or her hands over Rae's eyes for a reason she cared not to know.

In an instant Rae brought her arm out of the blanket, grabbing the boy's throat as she sat up, throwing him to the ground, meeting little resistance as he toppled backwards. She rose to her feet quickly, picking up her sword that was next to her while she slept and holding it to his throat, pushing up into his chin, forcing him to move his head away from the blade. His eyes were wide in surprise, not expecting for her to retaliate at his harmless actions.

"Give me one reason not to kill you," she ordered bluntly. Aurora wasn't around, and if she was she certainly would not stand by and watch if Rae lost control of the situation.

He was blinking rapidly, raising his hands in what perhaps was surrender, "I was trying to make sure you were okay," he replied in a cracking voice, stuttering from his continuing shock. She pushed the sword softly into his throat, careful not to break the skin; his answer wasn't convincing enough.

"Okay," he drawled out, swallowing hard. "That," he paused, pointing behind her, "is my reason." He was no longer afraid; she could see it in his eyes.

Rae drew her sword away, holding it to her side in case she needed it; when she looked behind her, she had to look twice. A grown night fury was standing behind her, growling in its low tone, bearing its sharp, retractable teeth. Turning back to the boy who was now standing, meticulously brushing the dirt of his suit, she nodded, acknowledging this as a challenge. She put two fingers up to her mouth, blowing hard and releasing a loud whistle, then smiling back at the stranger.

"Listen," he began, "I don't want a fight." She noticed he gestured with his hands quite unnecessarily, shrugging his shoulders clumsily while he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not gonna hurt you," he added with a sincere smile. He seemed to be a genuine person, his green eyes expressing no harmful intention, and the dragon was only protecting him.

"Call off the dragon," she said calmly, crossing her arms defensively. She hoped Aurora wasn't far away. She could fight other people, but she was no match for a powerful dragon like a night fury, or any dragon at all.

He considered the request cautiously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Ahhh," he kicked at one of the tree roots protruding the ground. "Alright," he decided. He stepped to the side to look at his dragon, "It's okay, bud," he told it, waving his hand in assurance. The dragon looked back and forth between them, wondering if it really was okay, eventually making up his mind he relaxed his body, sitting up straight, waiting for whatever conversation that was going to happen to end.

He walked over to where Rae was standing, watching his feet, or foot, as he went. "I'm Hiccup, chief of Berk," he told her awkwardly, holding out his hand in greeting. She could tell he wasn't accustomed to meeting strangers; most people would be more cautious with one that almost killed them. The way in which he introduced himself also left her to question him, calling himself a chief without pride or strength in his voice, leaving her to conclude that the title was new to him.

"Rae," she said, taking his hand in a shake, moving her sword to her other hand. She didn't return his smile however, offering him no friendly gesture until she could confirm that he wasn't going to hurt her or Aurora.

Hiccup was tall, less than half a foot taller than she. He was gangly; his legs were long as we're his arms and his auburn hair was mangled on top of his head. His face was lightly freckled, green eyes glowing and adventurous and there was a small scar under his lower lip. Part of his left leg had been amputated somehow, leaving him with a prosthetic foot he seemed to be comfortable with. His black armor was interesting her, covered in gadgets she never thought possible on armor, and the rest of his body was adorned with leather straps and protective covers. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't see where he hid his weapons in the contraption, feeling nervous whenever his hands touched a part of his suit.

The dragon walked around Rae to Hiccup, growling almost inaudibly at her as he went by and nudged Hiccup in the side, "Oh!" he exclaimed. "This is Toothless," he gestured to the dragon and scratched the bottom of his chin, the dragon lifting his head in satisfaction.

Aurora flew up behind the two strangers silently, landing with a purposeful thud to startle them. They turned around as she expected, taking a step backwards as she stalked closer to them.

"This is Aurora," Rae explained, walking to meet her dragon and calm her down. "It's okay," she told her. They both knew they could defeat Hiccup and Toothless if it was necessary, their confidence as a duo was unmatchable, but it was too early to tell in what direction this interaction was heading.

She turned back to face Hiccup. His eyes were wide and his jaw agape in amazement; he had obviously never seen a dragon like Aurora before. He gave her a big smile that begged to approach her, and Rae gave him a nod in permission. He slowly walked over to Aurora, putting his hand out, expecting for her to give in to his temptation and press her beak into the palm of his hand.

"That's not going to work on her," she told him.

He looked at her as if she didn't know what she was talking about. "I think I know what I'm doing," he replied, a bit unsure now, but too stubborn to listen.

"No," she shook her head, "You clearly don't, so if you want to lose your hand too, I advise that you don't try that."

Toothless was standing close by, probably confused about the new creature who he concluded was more powerful than he, deciding to keep his distance but remaining close enough to protect Hiccup. Aurora had encountered numerous night furys in the south in the past, most of them traveled in pairs, but they avoided her at all costs, and Aurora likewise offered them the same courtesy.

Rae walked around to Aurora's side, putting pressure under her wings, causing her to open her them fully. They were in a large clearing on the island; there was more space for a future lodge here than any of the other islands if she chose to stay. "Here," she said, gesturing Hiccup to come to where she was. "Rub under her wing. She loves that."

He did what she suggested. Aurora watched him the whole time, muffling her croons, unable to hide the feelings of the sensation. "What breed of dragon is she?" he asked, still rubbing her side.

"Honestly," Rae shrugged, leaning against Aurora's flank, "I don't have the slightest idea." She watched as Hiccup adjusted himself, his focus mainly on Aurora's reactions, trying to make her happy. He was an attractive man, not a boy like she first thought; she wouldn't mind him staying around for company or other things… She shook her head. 'You can't think like that. You don't know him,' she thought to herself.

"She's amazing," he smiled at her, his eyes glowing. "I mean, a dragon with feathers _and _four wings! It's just…" he paused collecting his thoughts, "Wow!"

Toothless approached Aurora, making low noises at her as he tried to convince her to play and be social. She blew a small ring of smoke in his face in warning. She wasn't the kind of dragon to subject herself to silly games, but that didn't persuade Toothless to leave her alone.

"Could I fly her?" His question was full of hope that she'd say yes.

"That wouldn't be a good idea. You have to earn her trust before you can try that." She leaned off of Aurora, walking around to her head, scratching her chin.

Toothless was growing agitated, trotting over to Hiccup trying to get his attention. "C'mon bud," he complained, giving in and began picking on Toothless.

There was a long silence between them, Rae was uneasy, observing how he interacted with Toothless, like the way two brothers often do. "Can I trust you?" she asked suddenly.

He seemed surprised to be asked such a question, but he met her eyes, holding Toothless's head in his arms, "Yes, you can trust me," he smiled. "Just don't try to kill me again," he added jokingly.

Rae laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, not familiar with lighthearted banter with other humans. "Good," she said, finally slipping her sword back into its sleeve, gently placing it against one of the satchels.

"Ummm..." he again collected his thoughts, "Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly are you doing here?" They were now directly talking to one another; their dragons had gone off together, Toothless still trying to get Aurora to play.

She shrugged "Just looking for food. I have several mouths to feed."

"Oh, so you have kids?" He was digging for specifics.

Her eyes widened, "No no no," she corrected quickly. "I didn't mean it like that," she laughed self-consciously.

"Okay," he forced a laugh too, running his fingers through his hair again, "Yeah, you seem to be a bit young to have kids anyways."

Rae was offended. He could see it written all over her face, like he touched a nerve.

"That came out wrong," he corrected himself, taking a step back as if he expected her to hurt him. He shifted uncomfortably, "So you said you were looking for fish," he paused, considering if he should finish his sentence. "Umm, we have plenty of fish on Berk. We even have unlimited feeding stations for dragons."

It sounded to her like an invitation, but she was weary to accept it.. "You live with dragons?"

"Oh yeah," he said excitedly. "Pretty much everyone has their own dragon now. I'm sure they all would be as amazed by Aurora as I am." He looked over at the dragons, Aurora lying on the ground resting while Toothless circled around her, still wanting to play.

The twisting in Rae's stomach returned again. Her body was betraying her. Part of her wanted to kill him, another wanted to run, another to trust him, and another to seduce him. The last two options were the most pleasant. "I'll have to think about it," she decided, crossing her arms to contain herself.

"Okay," he said slightly disappointed.

"You can come back here sometime tomorrow and I'll let you know," she offered. She knew it was a bad idea, but she had to try; her isolation becoming more apparent to her in his presence. What harm could a little human interaction bring anyways?

"Okay," he said again, this time in a different tone. He stood silent for moment, "It was nice meeting you, Rae," he concluded with a smile, walking over to Toothless.

"Hiccup," she nodded in return, following him to the dragons.

His eyes lingered on Aurora who was lying with her eyes closed, yet she was fully awake, observing the situation through the rest of her senses. Once Hiccup managed to pull Toothless away they departed, leaving Rae confused both emotionally and physically. She'd pull herself together by tomorrow before they visited her again.

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**I'd like to just take another quick moment to thank anyone who has read this far. If you have any comments or suggestions, I'm more than glad to receive reviews for this. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**My apologies for not mentioning this before, but when use italics, that means that it is a flashback or a memory. They may seem spotty, but they all serve a purpose, trust me.  
**

* * *

_"Stay with me," he pleaded her._

_"I can't," she answered, irritated by his persistence._

_He grabbed her arm gently, lowering himself to one knee and removing her white glove. "I'm in love with you, Rae." He kissed her hand, his moist lips warm against her cool skin, sending chills up her spine._

_"John, we are not discussing this here," Rae snapped, pulling her hand away from him._

_They were at John's brother's banquet in celebration of his new financial gains in addition to his marriage a wealthier woman. The attire was formal, though most of the women were hiding their skin and covering their hair, ashamed of their beauty, but Rae was not. A maroon shaded dress adorned her body, hugging her breasts and waist tightly before draping over her legs. Her arms were bare with the exception of her gloves and the two straps that held the dress at her shoulders, the cut of the neck revealing her cleavage, which men tended to stare at. She wore her hair down, allowing her curls to run free and fall across her back, bringing a new shape to her face._

_Her companion was dressed for the occasion; loose fitting pants cut halfway down his shin followed by tall white socks. His shirt was made of fine fabrics that reflected the lighting wonderfully and his long black velvet jacket slimmed his toned figure, accented with gold and silver buttons and laces. John's hazel eyes were soft and gentle, not caring that Rae wasn't the ideal woman, but embracing the fact that she was what he needed. His long black hair was tied behind his head, not a single strand out of place. He had a strong build with muscular arms and body underneath his clothes, and his face was perfect, sending any sensible lady into heat._

_John rose to his feet, "Then when are we to speak of it?" He proceeded to reach for her hand and hold it between his._

_"Never," she answered quietly, holding her free hand to her cheek._

_He pulled her closer to him, resting a hand on her hip, stroking her hand with his thumb. "I'm leaving tomorrow," he said softly, raising her hand to his lips, kissing it so._

_"That would be why," she looked up into his eyes. They wanted to be together so badly._

_"My love," he began, placing his hand on her cheek which she then leaned in to, "let us make love tonight, and not to be troubled by tomorrow." He kissed her forehead. He didn't want to leave her, but he had a duty to his family, to protect their land, and to protect Rae._

_"I can't," she said abruptly, turning away from him to walk to the door. The room was crowded and she didn't want to bring attention to them with a dramatic departure, so she courtly making her way through the crowd, politely excusing herself while walking in between persons._

_"Do not lie to me," he raised his following after her, rudely pushing aside guests, causing a few heads to turn._

_Rae looked back at him and he gestured for her to follow him to the veranda. The night had fallen and the sky was decorated with stars, their only light being two small candles on the porch fence. He sat her down on a intricately designed iron bench, kneeling in front of her, "Do not deny your love, my darling," he said sweetly, again holding her hand as she tried to avoid his eyes._

_"I don't want you to go," her voice cracked as she tried to hold back her tears. Even if he stayed they couldn't be together; the law forbade the union of two lovers of differing social status._

_"I do not want to go either," he agreed, sitting himself on the bench beside her. "I will write to you every chance I get, I promise." A tear had escaped her eye and he brushed it away with a tender swipe of his thumb._

_"If you don't want to go, then why are you leaving," she said angrily, standing up to walk to the other side of the veranda. If he loved her then he would stay with her. They could run away together, she thought._

_"My love," he began, desperately following her._

_Rae slapped him hard across the cheek; a faint red mark appeared when he looked back at her. "I don't want to hear it!" she shouted at him, losing control of her emotions as the tears sputtered out. "If you loved me, you'd stay with me! You wouldn't go defend the people who don't want us to be together!" She was poking at his chest accusingly, but he didn't try to stop her, allowing her to take her punches until she had nothing left to fight about._

_"Please," he said, reaching for her hands but she pulled away again._

_"Are you ashamed of me? Of your love for me?" Rae was gesturing wildly, unable to maintain her composure. "Don't you think I'm tired of hiding each morning from your family every time I fall asleep in your arms? Every time we make love I can't express my passions in fear of them hearing! I can't do it anymore! I can't love you anymore!" She punched his chest violently as he grunted, buckling forward in pain._

_Rae stormed off into the corner of the porch, leaning against the column, sobbing. After a long silence her tears ceased to fall and John walked up behind her, putting his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. He didn't say a word, just held her until she felt safe again._

_When Rae turned around to face him, her eyes were red and her makeup was smeared. She stared into his eyes, communicating her feelings without words, his doing the same. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her for a kiss; his lips were colder than hers; a delightful sensation she wanted more of. Their mouths moved in synchronization as his tongue explored hers, leaving her to only moan for more: more of him._

_John pushed her backwards slowly, allowing her to sit on the fence as he tried to position himself between her legs. He was running his fingers through her hair, pulling it gently each time she made a sound; his other hand stroking her upper thigh, occasionally squeezing it hard to make her jump, enjoying her suppressed laughter in his mouth._

_When Rae felt herself getting wet she pulled away, her breathing slightly heavy from his magic touch. She held his forehead to hers until she calmed down, the sound of his breathing and his warm breath relaxing her._

_"Shall we?" he whispered into her ear, holding her hand away from him._

_Rae nodded, a huge grin coming across her face causing John to laugh. She always managed to make him laugh, whether they were in an argument or mid-orgasm, she could make him do anything. He loved the way she looked at him, giving her heart and body to him with all the trust she could offer; it made him feel like a man, to please a woman like her: independent, strong, and slightly crazy. She tested him in a way no other woman could, challenging him, making herself his equal, his partner in crime, his true love._

_They made their way back to his family's mansion in his carriage, giggling the entire way like rebellious children. When they arrived at the country estate John held the door for her, sweeping her off her feet the moment she stepped out and throwing her over his shoulder. Rae laughed, pretending to scream as if being kidnapped, while John ran them inside, quickly setting her down in the great room and resumed kissing her. He was persistent, trying to make their last night together something to remember. His hands traveled up and down her back, grazing her breasts repeatedly while hers remained hooked on the waist of his trousers. He held her tight to his body, forcing her to feel his growing erection, letting her know he was hers._

_Upon hearing the sound of other carriages pulling in front of the mansion, the lovers laughed to one another and ran up the grand staircase to John's bedroom at the end of the hall. He opened the door for Rae as she ran inside, still laughing from the excitement of their forbidden love affair._

_Rae sat down on the edge of his large bed, crossing her legs impatiently as John removed his coat, but she watched eagerly, biting her lip as he took off his shirt, exposing muscles that flexed with every small movement. He kicked off his shoes and socks before walking over to her with a knife he grabbed off his bedside table and he forced her to her feet, kissing her lips passionately as he slid the knife down the front of her dress, cutting it to the waist, backing away for a moment he brushed the straps off her shoulders and watched as the dress hit the ground, revealing Rae in all her naked glory. He tossed the knife to the opposite side of the room and went back to kissing Rae, picking her up in his arms and tossing her onto the bed._

_She looked from his eyes to the large bulge of his trousers, begging him to take off his pants and come to her. John did as she wished; Rae blushed heavily on the sight of his penis, her heart racing in anticipation. He strutted over to the bed, to her body that was now sprawled out across the sheets and he positioned himself on top of her between her legs as she wrapped them around his waist, the warmth radiating from her as he bent over her and whispered in her ear, "Make as much noise as you please tonight, my love."_

_Rae gasped as he entered her, not expecting it so soon, his mouth exploring her neck and his hand cupping her breast roughly. She moved her hands through his hair, untying the knot that held it up, allowing it to fall around his face, ruining the image of perfection. He moved quickly against her, sweat glistening off of their bodies as they moaned loud in satisfaction and pleasure._

_They could hear voices outside the room, but they cared not to stop. This was their moment, their night, and nothing was going to stop that, not even his brother who strode into the room to investigate the ruckus but their bodies remained intertwined, leaving his jaw agape and eyes wide. They didn't know what else his family did or even who entered the room, their attention solely focused on one another. They continued to make love most of the night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms as the estate grew silent and only the sounds of birds chirping could be heard._

_When Rae awoke the following morning John was gone. He left a note on his pillow tied to a rose with a gold ribbon._

_'My dearest, truest love,' it read. 'I must be going to defend my family before the sun rises. I would have woken you, but you were far too beautiful and peaceful to disturb. I shall write you at every opportunity, I promise. I cannot receive letters where I am going nor can I tell you to where I am going to. Please, my darling, do forgive me. You will be in my thoughts every night. I will cherish our night of passion until I return, then we shall finally be together. Do not get angry, love, for I leave you with a promise upon your finger, a promise to wed thee upon my return. I love you, Rae.'_

_Her heart sank. He was gone, and she didn't know if he'd return again. She never even told him she loved him again. She sobbed, naked in his bed for hours, clutching his letter to her chest. The ring he left on her finger was a rare emerald, her favorite gem, surrounded by small diamonds beautifully cut, and engraved on the band read, 'My Love.'_

_Before leaving the estate, she took one last look behind her, "I love you too, John," she said aloud._

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**Next chapter will be back in real-time Berk. I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I enjoy writing it!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to apologize for the inconsistent lengths of each chapter. It wasn't necessarily intended to be broken down like this anyhow, but it's working decently so far.**

* * *

"What do you mean you invited her here?" Astrid asked accusingly of Hiccup. "Did you somehow forget what has happened in the last two months?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds," he tried to explain, reaching out to calm her down.

"You don't even know her!" Astrid continued her rant. "She tried to kill you! You do not trust people who try to kill you. She could be working for Drago for all we know!"

Hiccup grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a hug, "It's going to be alright. Nothing is going to happen to me," he said, pulling away, looking into her eyes, "And if it makes you feel better you can come with me tomorrow to meet her."

"Yeah," she smiled, "You could use my backup," she said, punching him in the arm playfully. "So what else did she have to say?" Astrid sat down in a chair by the wooden dining table, pulling out a seat for Hiccup to join her.

"Her name is Rae, in case you forgot," he teased, sitting across from her. She shrugged in return, slightly jealous of his attention to this new strange girl. "She said that she had, and I quote, 'mouths to feed,' and I asked and they weren't kids, so she must have more dragons." Hiccup was grinning madly, more than excited about what he could discover. An entire new breed of dragon was the perfect distraction for him, an opportunity to learn about them and possibly even train one.

"Hiccup," Astrid interrupted his thoughts, "Don't get too far ahead of yourself," she grabbed his hands in attempt to restore reality in his mind. "Tell me about this dragon she has."

"Where do I begin," Hiccup started, again becoming more excited. "Her name was Aurora and she's like nothing I've ever seen before. I mean there are lots of rare dragons on the islands around Berk, but I have never seen one like her." He stared out of the window as if trying to recreate the dragon's image in his in the reflection. "She was pure white and every one of her scales were lined in a gold, and she had a beak too which was also gold. Her wings were feathers along with the end of her tail, and all of the feathers were also lined in gold. Oh! And she had four large wings, only close together, unlike Cloudjumper. She also had these large golden spikes that came out of her neck and down her spine," he gestured wildly, expressing sizes by throwing his arms in all directions. "She was magnificent. And if this Rae has anymore dragons, they are probably as amazing or even more so than Aurora." His eyes were wide in wonder.

Astrid laughed at his dorkiness. "Do you know anything about her besides what she looks like? What would you say her strength and firepower is?"

Hiccup's face went blank and his face slowly transformed into a guilty grin. "We can find out tomorrow," he said, trying to fix the new dilemma.

"Alright -"

"Oh!" Hiccup exclaimed, rising quickly from the chair. "My mom might know what kind of dragon Aurora is." He didn't wait for Astrid to respond, immediately rising from the chair, pushing it back into place before he led them out the door. Astrid followed him, silently brooding. When he was determined there was no way to stop him, and this idea wasn't crazy or life threatening as far as she knew.

Valka still hadn't warmed up to Astrid, holding her partly accountable for what happened at the nest. Her face went from a large smile to a frown as Astrid followed Hiccup through the front door of her lodge. "It's wonderful to see you, Hiccup," Valka embraced her son, nodding to Astrid in an unfriendly greeting.

"You too, Mom," He responded. "I actually have a question to ask you about dragons."

"Can that wait a minute? I made some salad and I'm sure you two are starving from working so hard." She was mainly speaking to Hiccup, who was now sitting at the pine table beside the fire in the center of the hut, accepting his fate in order to get answers sooner. Astrid joined him after a moment, still not saying a word in fear of starting an argument.

Valka brought them both a bowl of salad, or what was supposed to be salad. Gobber was right that she still couldn't cook, but the effort was appreciated. "So what did you want to talk about? she asked Hiccup, sitting down across from them with her bowl.

"Yes," Hiccup said, swallowing a dreadful spoon of salad. "I went out exploring earlier today and I saw this dragon, and I was wondering if you could tell me what it was?"

"I can try." She quietly ate her salad while Hiccup relayed the details of the dragon once again, nodding now and then in familiarity.

"So what do you think?" Hiccup asked, leaning forward on the table in anticipation, pushing aside the salad he barely touched.

"I would be lying if I said I've ever seen a dragon with that description before," Valka began. "It sounds to me as though her second set of wings were a mutation. Normally wings are more spaced out to make sure that they don't collide while flying, so she probably cannot bring them together for smooth gliding as well as she should be able to." She took in another spoon of her salad, finishing it off. "Was she wild?"

Hiccup remained silent, looking to Astrid for backup. "No, she has an owner. Well, we think she does," Astrid chimed in.

Valka looked at Hiccup, worried, and then back at Astrid, slightly angry she had allowed her son get into a potentially dangerous situation.

"We're going to meet her tomorrow," she tried to reassure the anxious mother.

"No," Valka reprimanded. "I refuse to let you get my son into any more trouble than you've already created." She took the bowls off the table and walked to the counter, obviously upset, the calmness in her tone striking nerves with more ease than if she had raised her voice.

"Mom!" Hiccup complained. "Astrid didn't have anything to do with this. She's just trying to protect me." He stood up and followed his mother to the kitchen across the room, tripping over a loose board in the floor, reminding him that he needed to fix it.

Valka didn't speak, knowing that if she did she would say something hurtful to Astrid; hurting Astrid meant hurting Hiccup, and she just needed time to realize that and learn to bite her tongue. "I'm coming with you."

Hiccup ran his fingers through his hair nervously, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Valka turned to look at her son for a reasonable excuse.

"She's not expecting Astrid, and I told her she could trust me," he explained. "I don't think bringing two extra dragons and two extra people is going to help the situation."

Astrid walked over to stand beside Hiccup, putting her hand on his shoulder while his arm curled around her waist. "Please, don't worry," she said. "I'll make sure nothing happens to him," she promised.

Valka let out a deep sigh. Hiccup was a grown man and she would never be able to protect him like she would've when he was a child. "Okay," she decided. "Just, come see me before you go."

"Thanks, Mom." Hiccup smiled sweetly, looking at Astrid with bright, glowing eyes.

* * *

The following morning was dreary: an unmistakable sign of the coming winter. The sun was hidden behind the dark clouds that were ready to release rain onto the unsuspecting vikings. Winds were howling as Hiccup and Astrid flew through the air uncomfortably; Astrid hiding inside her fur hood while Hiccup remained unfazed, focusing only on their destination, looking through the holes in his helmet.

"How much longer?" Astrid called over to Hiccup. Stormfly wasn't very pleased flying in such harsh weather, even though she's been through worse, and neither was Astrid. If something happened to them and the weather grew violent, the probability of being rescued was slim.

"We're almost there," he answered vaguely. They were flying over the treetops that were bending in the wind, leaves flying off the branches below them, being carried away off to sea. "Just over there," Hiccup pointed to a patch of broken trees on an island in the distance.

Stormfly flew faster now, ready to escape of the frigid winds; Astrid did not object as she took the lead in front of Hiccup and Toothless, landing on the edge of the island. Astrid slid off of Stormfly's back, rubbing her arms trying to warm up as Hiccup landed beside her. "It's absolutely freezing out here," she commented, scratching Stormfly under the chin before removing her axe from its post on the back of her saddle.

The island was empty with the exception of a flimsy makeshift shelter in the thick of trees covered with animal furs and a pile of neatly cut logs was adjacent to the shelter, probably for firewood or materials for a more sound structure. There were two large bags behind it along with an intricate saddle made of foreign leathers that they did not recognize.

"Where is she?" Astrid questioned, "She did know when we were coming, right?" She walked around the pile of logs to get a better look at the bags and possibly their contents, careful not to touch anything unless she felt it was necessary.

"I guess I didn't make that part very clear," Hiccup shrugged, obviously willing to wait as long as he needed to. He paced in front of the shelter debating to sit inside to get out of the cold and risk intruding in Rae's personal space. A fire had been burning recently since there was a bit of smoke coming from the wood and ashes, giving Hiccup a form of heat to warm his stiff hands. "What are you doing?" He looked over to Astrid who was rummaging through the satchels.

"I'm investigating," she reasoned, pulling out a small book from one of the satchels, holding it carefully in her hands, studying the designs on the leather binding.

Hiccup took the book from her hands, "We can't just look through her things like that, Astrid."

She laughed at his authority, "Since when were you one to follow rules?" She took the book back from him, dangling it in his face mockingly.

"This is serious," he tried to say without laughing. "She has to trust us," he explained, resting a hand on her waist; his fingers slipping around her skull belt. Toothless growled across the island, no longer playing with one of the fallen tree branches with Stormfly. "Put this back," Hiccup said quickly, taking the book and tossing it back into the satchel as Aurora landed several feet in front of them.

"Wow," Astrid said breathlessly, now realizing how beautiful the dragon was; Hiccup's description hadn't done her justice.

Rae dismounted cautiously, keeping her eyes on Astrid and Hiccup while Aurora watched for Toothless and Stormfly. She removed her sword from its sleeve, holding at her side as she approached the couple, "I didn't expect you to bring an entourage," she told Hiccup.

"Yeah," he said, more nervous than before. "She wanted to meet you and I couldn't say no," he paused. "So, Astrid, this is Rae. Rae, this is Astrid," he forced a laugh to ease the tension.

"Hand me the axe," Rae ordered sternly, holding out her free hand.

"Why should I?" Astrid asked defensively. "Give me yours," she gestured to Rae's sword.

"You have more reason to trust me than I do to trust you," Rae responded bluntly.

Astrid looked to Hiccup for defense, but he offered nothing but a shrug. "Let's put them both into that tree over there," she pointed to the largest tree on the island, standing in the center of the island, its roots growing in every direction like an inverted weeping willow.

"Alright," Rae agreed. "You first." She stepped aside so Astrid could get a good shot at the trunk.

Astrid positioned herself for a good throw and with a graceful flick of her wrist she sent her axe across the island. It landed dead in the center of the trunk as she smiled slyly to Rae, proud of her accuracy. "Pretty good," Rae complimented, arching the throw of her sword as it dug itself a sharp line down the center of the tree, not even taking a moment to correct her stance. "I think we're good now," she said, more relaxed without weapons nearby. "It's nice to meet you," she extended her hand to Astrid in greeting.

"You too," Astrid replied suspiciously, accepting the handshake. "I don't know what Hiccup all told you, but before anything, I need to make sure we can trust you. Can I ask you some questions?" The words felt weird in her mouth. She normally wasn't nervous or anxious with strangers, but this one almost killed Hiccup, which was not something she could forget so easily.

"I suppose so." Rae gestured for her to come with her inside the shelter, relieved to be out of the cold. She was wearing the same black pants as the previous day, changing out her thin leather boots for a light brown thicker leather, stuffed with wool for insulation. Removing her elk fur vest, she tossed it to the back of the shelter, picking up a blanket to cover herself over her thin green sweater that had only one and a half sleeves. Astrid sat beside her, putting a decent amount of space in between them for safety precautions.

"May I?" Hiccup trailed off, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb to Aurora who was sitting protectively between Rae and the other dragons.

"Go ahead," Rae consented, amused by his over-interest in Aurora. She turned her attention back to Astrid who was absent-mindedly playing with her thumbs, "You said you had questions?"

"Yes," she said slightly nervous, repositioning herself to sit up taller than Rae, who was relatively relaxed next to her unarmed visitor. Astrid brushed her bangs out of her eyes and flattened out her spiked skirt, collecting her thoughts. "Let's start easy," she suggested, "Where are you from?"

Rae shrugged, "I'm not really _from_ anywhere, but I guess you could say I'm from England." Thinking about her answers too long was not something she planned to do, or else there would be afterthoughts and reflections on her past, wonders on if she truly knew who she was. It was not going to be a fun interview, she concluded.

A puzzled look came about Astrid's face, "England?"

"Oh," Rae interjected, realizing that Astrid had no idea where that was. "It's a place further south of here. I think if you go straight from here you could get there, but I haven't thought it through much." Directions were not her specialty. She knew landmarks, but Aurora handled most of the traveling aside from a reminder off of Rae's compass now and then.

"I see," she said, sounding like she knew what Rae was talking about. "What about your family? Where are they?" Astrid pulled her leg into her chest, attempting to get comfortable and secure some more warmth.

Rae cringed, silent for a moment before swallowing, "Dead," she answered quietly, refusing to let her sadness overcome her. The look on Astrid's face was apologetic, but she said nothing until Rae lightly shoved her shoulder, "It's fine," she said with a fake smile.

"Do you have a husband or someone you're close to?" Astrid continued to conduct her interview, taking notes in her mind, avoiding her urge to watch Hiccup interact with Aurora.

"Nope." Her tone was bland, not wanting to talk about her personal life with a stranger she knew nothing about; besides, she had a clear relationship with Hiccup, which was a slight bummer. Astrid again tried to situate herself comfortably, thanking Rae when she offered her a blanket.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rae called to Hiccup, who was analyzing Aurora's tail. "She'll whack you if you touch her tail," she laughed. Of course Hiccup was too busy to listen and picked up the feathered end of her tail and the dragon pulled it away and brought it back forcefully to deliver a blow right into his gut, directing a low warning growl as he lay on the ground clutching his stomach. The girls laughed while Aurora walked away proudly, no longer willing to tolerate the unwanted attention.

"She has an attitude doesn't she?" Astrid joked, glancing at her own spoiled Stormfly as she chased after Toothless, squawking as he refused to let her play with it.

"Sure does," Rae admitted, thankful for the comic relief of Aurora's actions.

"What's she like?" Astrid got serious again.

"What do you mean?"

"Like her strength, firepower, speed. That kind of information," she explained.

"Oh," Rae paused. "That's not really something I'd like to disclose right now."

"Okay," Astrid said, not satisfied with her excuse. "At least tell me one thing that she can do that you think is unique."

"She has four wings," Rae teased.

Astrid laughed at her witty response, "Besides the obvious."

"Well," she pondered. "Do you know how snakes have this uncanny ability to dislocate their jaw?" Rae took her arms out of the blanket to show Astrid what she meant. "She can open her mouth almost one hundred-eighty degrees so she can swallow large prey and it lets her fire powerful blasts." It was true that such a characteristic was limited to Aurora, as Rae had never seen another dragon with that capability, and Aurora's small mouth would be a huge disadvantage without it.

"That's amazing," Astrid commented, genuinely interested. "I'd love to see how she does it."

"She already ate this morning so maybe some other time," she suggested.

"That reminds me," Astrid said, sitting tall once again to be serious. "Do you have a history with a man by the name of Drago Bludvist?"

A lump arose in Rae's throat as the name sent a tremble down her spine, forcing her to shift suspiciously. "No," she lied, "Why do you ask?"

Her answer wasn't fully understood as Astrid raised an eyebrow at her, not believing she didn't know him. "He's an evil man, and we don't know where he is, so we have a right to be suspicious about it."

"Don't worry," Rae shook her head. "I've never met anyone by that name," she reassured.

"I believe you," Astrid said, still not sure if Rae was telling the truth, only accepting her answer to avoid conflict. "What happened here?" she asked, gesturing to her own temple.

"This?" Rae traced her finger delicately over her scar. "I was told it was a gift," she laughed, remembering the day she received it without a legitimate reason.

"A gift?" Astrid was confused, not understanding what was funny.

"Yeah, the brother of a-" she paused, remembering John for a moment. She cleared her throat, "A brother of an old friend of mine was pissed at me so he simply cut me across the face with a kitchen knife."

"I still don't get it," Astrid giggled, concerned she missed the punchline.

"It was actually the reason for his anger that was funny," Rae explained, unwilling to tell the in full detail what that reason was. After John had left for war, she returned to his mansion to ask of his whereabouts when his older, and married, brother tried to have sex with her. He said that a whore was a whore, saying that he was just as good as John, but his desperation was humorous to her. He could never understand the concept of love, therefore he could never come close to being 'as splendid in the act of coituse as John. "Basically he called me a whore and I laughed in his face and he cut me," she shrugged with a smile, pleased to keep it an inside joke with herself.

Astrid shook her head, not finding it amusing at all, faking a smile to please Rae. "One last question for you, at least for now," she said.

"Shoot," Rae told her, relieved the interview was almost over.

"I happened to see that you had these books in your bag over there," she pointed in the direction behind the logs. "What's in those?"

"They're journals," Rae explained, her voice trailing off in reminiscence. "They belonged to a really good friend of mine." She grabbed the silver chain of her necklace, pulling the ring out from between her breasts to hold it. "He had a passion for writing and drawing. He was a wonderful artist. Those journals are full of drawings of the city and people, along with some memories." Rae twirled the ring in her fingers, smiling at it, remembering John and the time they spent together.

Looking at Rae's eyes, glued to the ring, Astrid could tell that this was just not any good friend, but he was her love. He was her Hiccup. The thought made her smile, knowing that this stranger knew what love was and had a conscience and feelings. "He sounds like a great guy," Astrid said comfortingly, bumping Rae with her shoulder.

"He was," Rae sighed, dropping the ring back down into her shirt.

Astrid removed the blanket from her lap, crawling out of the shelter to stand up and Rae followed her out, keeping the blanket wrapped around her. "I think I have all I need to know," Astrid said. "Hiccup," she called, waving for him to come over to her. He had been leaning against a tree across from Aurora, studying her, attempting to make her eyes follow his movements.

"Mi'lady," he said, putting his arm around her waist when he stood beside her. He read her eyes and he lit up. "So, Rae," he began, "Do you want to come to Berk today?" A large grin came over his face, so excited to have a chance to spend more time with this new dragon.

"For the day? Or do you mean until tomorrow?" Rae wondered, hoping that she could get a warmer place to sleep as she expected it to be colder that night, possibly even snow, which would not be the ideal situation.

Hiccup looked down at Astrid for an answer. "You can stay until tomorrow," she said before Hiccup squeezed her in his arms. "I'd bring your things. We wouldn't want any wild dragons going through any of it."

"Of course," Rae smiled, loosening the blanket around her, getting ready to fold it and put it in the satchel. "Give me a few minutes," she said. "And if you want you can try to saddle Aurora," she offered to Hiccup.

"I'd be honored," he said giddily, walking briskly around to pick up the saddle behind the logs and made his way over to Aurora who was watching his every move. She stared at him blankly as he held the saddle in front of her, expecting her to stand and help him put it on her.

"Aurora," Rae reprimanded. She had the habit of taking advantage of strangers, messing with them until she got her way. "Don't give him a hard time," she told the dragon, finally convincing Aurora to stand up after a moment, stretching her long limbs, flicking her tail in agitation.

Hiccup threw the saddle on her back, positioning it in the center, bringing the buckles around to her chest and tightening them. In his opinion, it wasn't a very well designed saddle, but it certainly was beautifully crafted. A single rose was on the seat while along the edges and the buckles were detailed vines, interwoven with the stitching. Aurora remained still, not enjoying her interaction with Hiccup, but not objecting like she usually would.

"All ready," Rae said, sliding her fur vest on before throwing a satchel over her shoulder with Astrid behind her with the other. She hooked the first one to the back of the saddle with a thick strap, then using another to tie it to the strap on Aurora's stomach to secure it. Astrid copied her and Rae then connected the two satchels with three more straps. It looked difficult to anyone, but it was a rather simple process to put it together, and in the end it worked well for flying.

"She really is beautiful," Astrid commented, stroking Aurora's neck admirably, surprised by the dragon's silky feathers; Stormfly came up behind her, not pleased by Astrid's attention to a dragon besides her. She removed her axe from the nearby tree, tugging at it forcefully to dislodge it, then putting it in its place on Stormfly's saddle before handing Rae her sword, glancing momentarily at the engravings in the blade.

The three riders mounted their dragons, Rae riding the highest of them with Aurora's impeccable posture. Hiccup would ride leaning over Toothless while Astrid and Rae remained sitting up until they would need to hide from the sharp winds once they reached the open ocean.

"How about you lead?" Hiccup suggested to Astrid. He wanted to fall behind and observe how Aurora could fly, now armed with his mother's knowledge.

"Okay," she agreed. "Let's go," she pushed her heel into Stormfly's side gently to signal her to speed up; Rae followed her, letting Aurora take her time, launching herself off the edge of the island into the air. Toothless wasn't far behind them, flying quickly to allow Hiccup different angles in which he could see Aurora. The way she flew did not look natural, her wings flapping simultaneously, occasionally switching to turn or fly upwards.

They were high above the trees when Hiccup got the urge to race, desperately craving to learn about Aurora, "How about we see which dragon is fastest," he said enthusiastically, lifting his helmet so the girls could look at him clearly.

"That wouldn't be fair," Rae argued lightheartedly, gesturing to the two large satchels behind her.

Hiccup sighed. "Some other time then," he shrugged, pulling his helmet back over his face before surging ahead of Rae and Astrid.

"Don't mind him," Astrid said. "He has no patience," she laughed.

* * *

**This chapter shifts into the next, just a heads up. I hope it's not progressing too slowly. Leave a review if you have and suggestions or criticisms. Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Continuing from Chapter 5 (sortof)...**

* * *

The weather must have foreseen their arrival as it began to rain as they approached Berk. It appeared to Rae that it wasn't ideal place to settle since the island was an incline, full of sharp drop-offs and cliffs, but other than that it was amazing to see the engineering of the buildings from a distance that prevented them from toppling over the cliffs. The houses were traditionally made of wood, contrary to the stone and brick she was accustomed to seeing in the wealthy English countryside, but it left her longing for her hometown.

Towers hovered high above the houses, probably for some kind of recreational activity with the dragons that the vikings supposedly have. Paint covered most of the walls, creating a ray of colors and designs unique to each building and house and at the far end of the island a set of large doors decorated by nearby dragon statues allowed the entrance to a hollowed out part of the island in the rock. To the right there was a large, caged in arena where Rae assumed they trained dragons; surrounding it were rows of wooden benches so spectators could watch events going on inside. It reminded her of her days sparring for vast crowds with supposedly undefeatable knights, which she beat with only scars as a trophy.

As they flew closer to the island Rae could make out shadows of dragons of all breeds, most of which she was familiar with. They were the generic Monstrous Nightmares, Gronkles, Deadly Nadders, Rumblehorns, and Hobblegrunts she's seen too much often throughout the years. The more she thought about other dragons, the more she appreciated Aurora, who was unique and the only dragon in the world with her characteristics.

"It's amazing," Rae told Hiccup as he flew up beside her.

"Welcome to Berk," he introduced, using both his hands to direct her attention to Berk. "We are still reconstructing buildings, so there's quite a bit of broken wood lying around." In the last several months they were able to melt the remainders of the glaciers left behind by the Bewilderbeast, and all that was left was demolition and construction.

"Let's land by the Great Hall," Astrid said, directing Stormfly in that direction. Rae followed her, landing beside her in front of the staircase to the hall, the ground acting as a pedestal as Aurora landed, taking her defensive upright position. Thunder roared across the sky, increasing the dramatic entrance. Fear wasn't the word to describe Aurora's reaction, more of lack of trust and nerves in an unfamiliar environment; the same for Rae who was looking around taking it all in.

"Wow," Rae said with a sigh, not sure what exactly she should be feeling. A small group of people gathered at a distance outside their homes, careful to stay out of the rain, whispering to one another while pointing to Rae and Aurora in either curiosity of nervousness.

Hiccup and Astrid dismounted their dragons, Astrid aiding in removing his armor while he fidgeted with her touch. Once removed he turned to Rae, "I have to go take care of a few things. I'll meet you two here for dinner tonight." He kissed Astrid's cheek and jogged off, stopping by the crowd likely reassuring them that Rae wasn't a threat.

"You can get off Aurora now," Astrid reminded her, bringing her back into reality. "Let's go inside," she suggested, covering her head uselessly with her hands as the rain began to fall harder.

Rae patted Aurora's neck in attempt to comfort her and slipped off of her back and followed Astrid and Stormfly inside, peering over her shoulder at the people who were still watching them. To her surprise there were even more people inside; they all set down their drinks and forks glaring at her with distrusting eyes. Rae didn't mind the looks of disapproval or disgust, but the absence of trust was not a flattering sensation.

Astrid led the way to a table in the corner. The two tables in the center were wooden, curved around an ovular fire pit set low so people could sit and see each other from across the table over the high flames. The space was carved out of the large 'mountain' as it could be called, stone lining the walls and round ceiling while the floor was dirt, covered in a thin layer of loose dust and footprints and two stone columns supported the structure on each side of the fire pit tables, each stone painted with different colors from yellow to blue. The rest of the tables were long harvest tables, wooden slabs held together by iron bands; long benches matched the tables, clearly worn by routine use and stains from miscellaneous drinks while candles were set at the ends and in the middle of each table for better light. In the far corner there was what Rae assumed to be a bar, surrounded by barrels of what was either alcohol or water, but she hoped it was rum or whiskey because she really felt the need for a drink to relax herself.

"Over here," Astrid called, sitting down at a table in the corner adjacent to the doors. Stormfly made herself comfortable, laying on the floor curled up for a nap, taking advantage of the warmth the room offered. Rae sat across from Astrid while Aurora sat down behind her, surveying the room and analyzing the new people for weakness in case she needed to make a quick escape.

"This is amazing," Rae commented, her vocabulary dwindling in awe of their ingenuity and structural achievement. "So what destroyed part of this place?" she asked in reference to Hiccup's warning about the broken logs. She hadn't seen any destruction, but that didn't mean it wasn't there.

"Hold on," Astrid said. "You want something to drink?" she offered, rising from the table.

"Sure," Rae accepted. While Astrid was away Rae took the opportunity to gaze about the room, noting different people sitting in different places; the way they drank, the way they ate, and the way they sat, watching for specific tells on who would be more dangerous than others. So far, Astrid was probably her biggest threat if her visit came to that decision. When she returned Rae thanked her, taking a sip from the wooden mug to find out it was only ale, but gracious nonetheless.

"I asked you about Drago Bludvist for that reason," Astrid began. "He attacked the dragon nest where Hiccup's mom rescued dragons. He had his own Bewilderbeast and everything," she paused at the memory. "He killed her Bewilderbeast and then they came here to Berk to steal our dragons, and in the process he destroyed much of the outskirts of the village."

Rae knew what she was talking about. Drago's Bewilderbeast and his plan to take over the world using dragons. Now she was where his efforts began and where they had failed. "Is he dead?" she asked, slightly concerned that she was being too curious.

"We don't know." Astrid shrugged and took a drink of her ale.

"I'm sorry," Rae said sympathetically. She didn't know how to comfort Astrid, who was obviously pained by the experience. She never had a female companion of her species, only men of various ages who were generally pleasant to be around without the nonsense drama that was associated with women.

"We're working on fixing things around here. Hiccup is still working into the routine of being chief, and I'm trying to get used to being with him while that is always keeping him busy." She stared into her mug at her reflection in the liquid, not expecting a response, just venting.

They sat in silence for what was probably a half hour, each of them lost in their thoughts, slowly drinking their ale. Drago had killed Hiccup's father. The chief of Berk. She allowed this to happen, selfishly running away instead of facing the one thing she was genuinely afraid of, and it cost the life of an obviously great man. The thunder sounded outside, followed by the loud pounding of a down-pour as people ran through the doors, soaking wet. Rae didn't bother to look to see who was entering or listen to the words they sputtered in her direction. Aurora let out a low growl when they became too loud and their pointing was a nuisance but she stood up as a stranger casually approached Astrid, glancing at Rae and the dragon that was glaring at him.

"It's freezing rain out there," he said, holding out his vowels in a familiar way. Rae looked up from her mug, patting Aurora to make her lie down again, then looking over at the stranger. Her tired eyes widened at the sight of such a large, muscular man. She covered her mouth, feeling her cheeks flush while she avoided his eyes.

"It is going to be winter, genius," Astrid teased him, shoving him away from her with her forearm. "Rae," she said, getting her attention, "This is Eret; Eret, this is Rae."

He extended his hand to her, "Nice to meet you," he said with a kind smile, pretending to be casual and not noticing the dragon watching him closely from behind Rae.

"You too," she shook his hand. It lingered too long, however, as she noticed how his fingers were long wrapping around her hand; his hands large and scarred from working with them often. Her hand was small in his, his hand warming her even though he had been in the cold rain and was still wet. His muscular biceps shined through the moisture, bringing her attention to his strength and the way his muscles flexed as he moved along with the fading scars on his bare arms..

Astrid must have picked up on this, "I'm going to put Stormfly in the barn and check on Hiccup." She didn't wait for a reply, walking over to Stormfly to wake her up and they were out the door.

"So, what brings you here?" Eret asked her with a smirk. His overconfidence was cute, but she could tell that under all those muscles was a sweet guy.

"I'm just sight-seeing," she said, finishing the rest of her ale and setting it aside. She sat up straight to put distance between them since he was leaning over the table a considerable amount.

"I don't believe that," he shrugged, catching Aurora's eyes and shifting uncomfortably under her watch.

"What about you?" she asked. "You're obviously not from here." Rae put her hand on Aurora behind her, trying to get her to let her guard down.

"And what makes you say that?" He raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended.

Rae laughed, thinking 'Your accent is far too charming to be from around her.' It was true; he sounded more English than anything, but he was obviously from a more northern climate, possibly of the nomads that lived on the ice. He seemed playful; a good distraction to all the changes she has been experiencing. "Aren't you going to ask about the elephant in the room?" she asked.

"The what?" he cocked his head.

"It's an expression," she smiled. "It means do you not notice there's a dragon sitting right behind me." She pointed to Aurora who was aware of her involvement in the conversation, raising her head to look at Eret.

He scratched his arm before answering, "Well, I didn't for this reason now," he gestured to the dragon staring blankly at him, "It's a bit intimidating."

"Psh," Rae shook her head, "She's just a sweetheart with a hard shell to crack," she said, pulling Aurora's head to her and scratching her chin as she crooned, leaning into the pressure.

"I think I'll just keep my distance," he decided, leaning away from Aurora.

"That's a good idea," Rae teased as Aurora snorted in Eret's direction, making him jump.

Eret laughed off his humiliation, slapping his hand against the table. Rae was charmed by his laugh and by the way he moved; she was touching her chest gently with her fingers in longing, tracing the band of her necklace.

"Rae?" He said, his tone becoming worried. Aurora stood up, concerned in the change in the atmosphere. "Rae," he said again, more persistent.

She couldn't hear him, her thoughts became blurry while she remained still, her expression frozen with the exception of her wandering eyes.

Eret stood up across from her, "You're bleeding." He held her chin up in his hand, seeing the blood running out of her nose, and then turning her head to see some piling up in her ears. He called for help and multiple people ran over to them and looked at her face. She could blink and see clearly, but that was about all.

Aurora grew nervous, pacing behind Rae calling to her in every way she could, even scratching at her back, trying to bring her back into reality. Her eyes bolted between all of the strangers approaching her and Rae, but she didn't stop them since she was useless to help Rae, and only they could.

With the orders of one of the older men in the hall, Eret picked Rae up in his arms and walked frantically to the doors that were held opened for him. He and another man and woman took her outside into the ongoing storm.

Rae saw figures passing by her eyes, blurring quickly. She blinked rapidly to clarify her vision with no success. Outside the rain felt like blisters against her skin; she felt like she was back in the dungeon, but this time she wanted to scream. Lightning flashed across the sky, forcing Rae to close her eyes to protect them. She fell unconscious after that.


End file.
